SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The county has authorized Bingo since the ’70s, with profits going towards charities, but last year bingo sales dropped by millions.
While some halls, like Grand Oaks in Citrus Heights, are doing great, others are having trouble filling seats.
We're Located at 3399 Arden Way Sacramento CA 95825 We'll be broadcasting on Zoom. Restaurant CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE OAKS ON 44 WEBSITE PHONE:DINING ROOM: 352-748-0050LOUNGE: 352-748-9238. SUNDAY BINGO SPECIALS. Wear a shirt with a SUN on it – Get a FREE Game.
READ MORE: 'Bizarre, Belligerent Behavior': Traveling Nurse Working In Grass Valley Arrested 3 Times In 2 Days“I’m a bingo fanatic,” said Barbara DeCarlo, who doesn’t miss a Friday at Grand Oaks Bingo.
She’s been playing Bingo there for 20 years.
“When I hit bingo I’m ecstatic!” she said.
But she’s a little hesitant to say just how much she spends.
“I don’t want to do that, I’m incriminating myself. My husband watches Channel 13,” she laughed.
But as the bingo balls drop, so too has the overall attendance numbers at bingo halls across Sacramento County.
Last year, gross receipts dipped by nearly $4 million. Attendance plummeted by almost 40,000 players, and as a result, prize payouts have dropped 19 percent.
“We need people coming in on certain days to play Bingo,” said Paul Colbert, the charities manager at Grand Oaks Bingo.
So what could be causing the drop?
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“Sometimes Thunder Valley has big payouts on certain days. And on those days we miss those people,” he said.
While the charities manager believes casinos are to blame, Barbara thinks it’s also the aging population.
“They are just passing away,” she said.
All money raised for bingo goes towards charities, and the stakes are high.
“Without this bingo hall here I think these charities would be no longer,” said Colbert.
Mesa Verde High school boosters said they raised close to $200,000 for scholarships and fundraisers.
“Helps fund uniforms for basketball and cheer, soccer and so forth. It helps find books,” said Coventry St. Mary, President of the boosters club.
You only have to be 18 to play, and supporters believe it really helps out.
“I think it’s kind of the idea that it’s an old person’s game, but it’s really not. Anyone can play and everyone enjoys it,” said Sacramento State Student Brittany Luckett who helps volunteer at the Bingo hall, which helps her pay for college.
As for Barbara and her friends, they’ll keep coming for as long as they can yell, “Bingo!”
MORE NEWS: California Back In Action With Baseball, Music And Amusement Parks Soon Open To FansThe workers at the Bingo halls are all volunteers and proceeds go towards several other charities.
